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(No Model) R. C. DE LA HUNT 8v E. R. SHAW.

PLUSH TANK.

810.888.988. Patented .June 8,1887.

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UNITED -STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REVERDY O. DE LA HUNT AND EDIVIN R. SHAIV, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOVA;

SAID DE LA HUNT ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM K. IVISNER AND ROBERT I SAFELY, OF SAME PLACE.

FLUSH-TANK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,983, dated June 8, 1897'.

Application filed Tune 14, 1894.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

` Be it known that we, REVERDY C. DE LA HUNT and EDWIN R. SHAW, citizens of the United States, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flush-Tanks; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to flush-tanks such as are used in connection with sewers; and the object of this invention is to so construct a tank of this class as to admit of a very quick discharge of the water, to secure an instantaneous and complete stoppage of the outflow at the proper time, to facilitate the examination and testing of the tank by means of an automatic registering` device, to prevent the stoppage of the supply-pipe by sediment by an improvement in the construction thereof, and to improve the form of the floor of the roservoir. The particular means by which these objects are attained will be hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a central vertical section of a flush-tank embodying our invention in the plane of the center of the discharge-pipe. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the intake from the under side thereof. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the registering apparatus. Fig. 4 is a crosssection of the trap.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A denotes a reservoir having such capacity as the circumstances may require. This is preferably of the usual domelike form, terminating at the upper end in a neck O, provided with the usual cover O. Instead of the usual flat bottom, however, the reservoir is provided with a concave bottom I3, the concavity of which reaches its lowest point near the outlet-pipe D, the upper end of which extends some distance above the floor of the tank. The object in this construction is to provide for the automatic removal of mud and sediment from the floor of the tank. Obviously this would ten'd to settle at lthe lowest Serial No. 514,508. (No model.)

point in the tank, which, as herein shown, is just below the in take E, hereinafterto bc more particularly described. It will therefore be apparent that as the water rushes out through the intake and the outlet-pipe the sediment collected within this restricted area will be caught by the outrush and carried out with the water. The floor of the tank is thus automatically kept clean. It is to be observed also that this construction is such as to admit of a persons standing on the door of the tank when the water is at its lowest level without standing in water.

As above mentioned, the center of the tank bottom is provided with an outlet-pipe D, cX- tending some distance above said bottom. Over this is mounted a bell-shaped dome E, which is herein designated as the intake. This is provided with internal ribs or flanges c e e, with notches at the inner corners to receive the upper end of the outlet-pipe. The lower end of the section D of the outlet connects with a trap F and the outer end of the trap with a branch G, running to or forming a part of the sewer. From the branch G a pipe H extends up to the surface of the street and at the upper end is provided with a suitable cover 7L. At a suitable height, preferably alittle above the normal high-water level in the tank, a branch I connects this pipe with the tank or reservoir. By this construction warm air from the sewer is admitted to the reservoir, preventing freezing in cold weather.

Water is admitted to the reservoir through the supply-pipe K. 'This is carried through the wall of the reservoir near the bottom, the riser K being inside the reservoir and thus accessible for cleaning or repairs, as may be required. At the upper end the riser is provided with a suitable bib or petcock M. The supply-pipe is further provided with an inner extension K, with a stop-cock L, the branch so formed making a dead end some distance back from the bib. The well-known tendency is for sediment to collect in such a dead end wherever it may be located, and by this means much of the sediment that would otherwise pass on to the outlet and eventually obstruct the bib is collected some distance back from it and may be cleared out at any IOO time by opening the cock L. lt will be seen that the trap l" is provided with a web F', dividing it into two nearly equal longitudinal sections, and that the outlet end of the trap is in the form ot an elbow, connecting directly with the slightly-inclined sewer-pipe G. This serpentine form of the trap is of practical value, inasmuch as it secures a nearly horizontal discharge of water into the sewer, and in practice it is not found to be necessary to make the sewer-branch of any larger capacity than the trap, whereas with a vertically-discharging trap increased area is necessary in the sewer to carry away the water thrown straight up from the trap.

The web l1" is made eonterminous with the trap at the outlet end. Its highest point is therefore near the vertical center of the trap end, the lower section of the trap being shown as the smaller one herein. The web is a little below the middle. It is not important whether the diaphragm be above or below the middle off the trap, but there should be some such relative elevation or depression with respect to the horizontal center of the trap, particularly at the outlet, since the purpose of this diaphragm is to divide the stream flowing from the mouth ot the trap at the initial action of the siphon. It placed central to the trap, the flow will be from both sections simultaneously. ln the case of the trap illustrated the water is first forced out of the upper section. This action might of course be reversed and the water first forced out of the lower section by simply making the diaphragm higher at the outlet end of the trap, but as it is not material from which section the water is iirst ejected the form shown in Fig. l will suffice to illustrate the principle. Through the center of the intake extends a vent-pipe J, the lower limb of which J extends down some distance into the outlet D. The outer end of the vent-pige is carried down about midway of the intake.

In the operation of the apparatus the trap is first filled, making a water seal in that portion of the outlet. Tater is then gradually admitted to the tank through the supply-pipe. As soon as it reaches the end of the vent-pipe all the air in the siphon formed by the intake and the upper portion ot the outlet-pipe is confined and as the water rises is compressed therein. This prevents any outflow through the intake until the water shall have risen high enough in the tank to counterbalance the water in the outlet-limb of the trap. As the water rises in the tank the confined air forces the water down in the descending limb ot the trap until it reaches an outlet-level, as indicated bythe shaded lines, when air breaks through the upper section and starts the siphonic action. XVhen full siphonic action takes place, the water flows from both sections, but in practice it has been found that before this takes place practically all the water in the section through which the air first breaks is carried out. As the area of this section is much smaller than that of the sewerpipe and as the water is ejected in the same line as the sewer-pipe there is no chance for even a temporary obstruction at the mouth of the trap and therefore no need of enlarging the sewer-pipe as compared with the outlet end of the trap. This outflow continues until the water-level in the tank reaches the lower edge of the intake, or nearly so. The flow bein g diminished air is admitted through the vent-pipe, siphonage is broken, and the tank begins again to fill, as before.

In the practical operation of flush-tanks for sewers it is common to inspect them once a month or so to know if they are working properly. This can only be generally ascer tained by being present when the tank discharges. This involves the expenditure of a great amount of time, since the tank lills slowly, even it the bib be opened to its full capacity.A lt is desirable, therefore, to provide lneans for registering the operations ol' the flusher, and this we accomplish in the following manner: On a suitable wall-plate N, preferably set near the mouth ot' the tank, is mounted a disk O on a stud o'. This disk is toothed, as by studs or pins o o, and en gages with a pawl pivoted to an oscillating arm P. A stop l) limits the downward movement of the pawl, and stops n nl limit the movement of the lever P. To the outer end of the lever is attached, as by a chain, a light vessel R, with a small hole fr in the bottom. Around the disk are numerals corresponding to the number of' the teeth or a division or multiple of them. These numbers register with a line marked on the wall-plate. The inner end of the lever with the pawl should be heavy enough to a little more than counterbalanee the weight of the outer end, so that when the vessel is empty the pawl will be depressed to the lowest point.

The action of the device is as follows: As the water rises in the reservoir it finally Vreaches the vessel R and gradually fills it through the hole in the bottom. Vhen the water rushes out, the vessel is left l'ull, and the weight of the water therein draws the pawl upwardly to the limit of its stroke, thus moving the disk one space. The water then drains out of the vessel, and the pawl returns to the primary position long before the water in the tank reaches it again. The parts should be made of some non-rusting material, such as brass.

Having thus described our invention, we claim-- l. The combination with a Hush-tank, having means for discharging its contents siphon ically, substantially as described, of a supply-pipe entering the tank near the bottom, a riser extending therefrom to above thehighwater level therein and provided with a suitable bib, and a lateral branch on the level of the lower pipe, forming a dead end for the collection of sediment back of the bib, and havin a suitable stop-cock, as described.

TOO

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2. The combination with a flush-tank, substantially as described, of a register or indicator composed essentially of an interniittently-rotatable disk or dial suitablT `@,raduated, a pawl having,` a limited Oscillation engaging therewith, a lever to which said pawl is pivoted, and having a limited oscillation, the paWl end ofthe lever being heavier than the other end and its Connections, and a vessel suspended from the free end of the lever7 with a small hole therein, and adapted to be filled by the Water as it rises in the reservoir, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

REVERDY C. DE LA HUNT. EDWIN R. SHAV. lVitnesses:

JOHN C. MILNEs, GEO. R. DioKiNsoN. 

